Nesting Material of Death

[FluffyButtBabies]

OH MY GOD I'M SO EMBARRASED. I don't even know what to say. I'm banging my head against the wall.
SHE'S A PICKY EATER!!! I just switched over to a mix of layer feed for my older birds, and that was also around the time she stopped eating. So I though to myself jokingly, what if she's just fussy? And I gave her a nice little cup of the old feed to try and entice her. She INHALED it like there was no tomorrow. She must've been so low energy because she hadn't been eating the new stuff. But I mean, SERIOUSLY??? I didn't even know chickens could be picky eaters! I mean, it's been almost three days and she barely even tried it she hated it so much! She's eating just fine now, from her own personal cup of old food. The other girls were just fine with it, but this princess would rather STARVE. This is ridiculous, she made me worry for nothing.

 

[Weeg]

It takes a lot of will power for a chicken to just not eat. Chickens will be in serious pain and still eat, it takes a lot of pain and damage for a chicken not to eat. Is there somethgin wrong with the new food? Mold, or something toxic? That would make sense to me, they won't eat most everything that is toxic to them. The others could have died because of mold toxicity. Check your new food, chickens will die not long after eating mold.

 

[Weeg]

I think there is something else, chickens eat everything, and they wouldn't rather starve then eat something they don't like. I have a feeling there is something else. What brand and type of new food are you feeding?

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

It's just a generic layer feed. They were on normal chick feed before, and I just started mixing the new feed it because two of them have started laying. The hen in question and her sister are two months younger than the ones who have just started laying though, so that's why the chick feed is still in the layer feed. They aren't due to lay for a while. I also double-checked for a stuck egg and there wasn't one just now. She isn't laying yet though so I didn't really expect there to be one. But why would she all of a sudden pretend like nothing was wrong and start eating the old food after not eating for a few days? She pointedly walked around the new food to get to her private cup. I know that some of my birds prefer certain treats over others, so that's why I think being picky could be possible.

 

[NatJ]

It's just a generic layer feed. They were on normal chick feed before, and I just started mixing the new feed it because two of them have started laying. The hen in question and her sister are two months younger than the ones who have just started laying though, so that's why the chick feed is still in the layer feed. They aren't due to lay for a while. I also double-checked for a stuck egg and there wasn't one just now. She isn't laying yet though so I didn't really expect there to be one. But why would she all of a sudden pretend like nothing was wrong and start eating the old food after not eating for a few days? She pointedly walked around the new food to get to her private cup. I know that some of my birds prefer certain treats over others, so that's why I think being picky could be possible.

You could just serve them all chick feed, and put out a dish of oyster shell for the calcium.
Laying hens need more calcium than non-laying chickens, but in all other ways chick starter is fine for them.
Chickens seem to be pretty good at eating the right amount of calcium when it's offered separately, and that way each one can get the right amount when she does start laying.

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

That's a good idea! I was worried that if I put out oyster shells they would think it was grit and then eat too much, but it sounds like they don't do that? And I just felt the little hen's crop, and although it's not full, it definitely had food in it. Yesterday it was so deflated that I couldn't even find it, so I'll take it!

 

[NatJ]

I was worried that if I put out oyster shells they would think it was grit and then eat too much, but it sounds like they don't do that?

Chickens are usually quite good at eating the right amount of oyster shell.

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

I just went in the coop to check her out. She complained and clucked when I picked her up, which I take as a good sign. I grabbed a few pics of her. I can't tell if she was falling asleep because she didn't feel well, or if it was because she's a very sweet bird who's pretty chill with me and it's way past her bedtime.View attachment 2488593View attachment 2488595

did you check if she was egg bound

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

I just went in the coop to check her out. She complained and clucked when I picked her up, which I take as a good sign. I grabbed a few pics of her. I can't tell if she was falling asleep because she didn't feel well, or if it was because she's a very sweet bird who's pretty chill with me and it's way past her bedtime.View attachment 2488593View attachment 2488595

she looks egg bound you can treat it with epsoum salt you may have to remove the eggs more than 1 day check if shes egg bound

 

[Weeg]

That's a good idea! I was worried that if I put out oyster shells they would think it was grit and then eat too much, but it sounds like they don't do that? And I just felt the little hen's crop, and although it's not full, it definitely had food in it. Yesterday it was so deflated that I couldn't even find it, so I'll take it!

They may not be eating because they know there is to much calcium in the layer feed for them. If they aren't laying, they can't eat layer feed. They know the different between OS and Grit, they won't over eat.